The annual “Buffalo Quickies” often isn’t very political in its segments.
This 2019 version includes a short item which cuts to the heart of many local issues in Jeff Z. Klein’s “A Work Break Downtown.”
It’s a look at the two Statues of Liberty on top of what was the Liberty Bank Building, at the corner of Main and Court.
It’s break time and the two have come down from their plinths to rest and relax and talk.
The statues look in different directions, one into the city’s booming areas, like the Elmwood Village, while the other looks to the East Side which, charitably, is drooped economically.
East Facing Woman (Shawnell Tillery) sees how bad are the economic and social situations from her viewpoint while West Facing Woman (Jaimee Harmon) sees the boom from hers.
If you only look in one direction, you see what you see.
Different viewpoints are central to J. Snodgrass’ “The Credible Adventures of Pylon and Thunderthighs,” two people who have watched too many Marvel movies.
Neither really looks internally while dressing up as third-rate Halloween superheroes.
Much of the play is an attack on those who comment on other’s weight.
There are a lot of issues, personal and social, on the stage.
There is a major issue in this year’s “Buffalo Quickies,” the direction.
Traditionally, Joyce Stilson was the director of all segments, with their variations in tone and cast.
This year, there are four directors, Stilson, Samantha Marchant, Stephanie Riso and Carly Weiser.
Clearly, that simplifies duties for each, with Stilson doing properties with Bruce Dejaiffe and Weiser doing lighting and sound.
James Cichocki did the costumes.
Every year, these scripts vary over the field of short one-act plays and that’s true this year.
At the same time, the first act probes relationships, both with others and with yourself.
One example is Mike Randall’s “One Man Show,” Actor (Mike Starzynski) about to give a lecture and at war with himself or with Her (Staphanie Bax) about the tensions of delivering his talk in rich medieval man dress.
There are group sessions like Jennifer Tromble’s “The Arrangement” and Marchant’s “Starting Out Strong,”
As usual, this isn’t a long play about some theatrical topic.
Instead, “Buffalo Quickies 2019” is another chance to sit back and see a lot of different writers opining about a lot of different topics and, as usual, that’s worth doing.